Personality (Big Five)

What the framework is

The Big Five (sometimes called OCEAN or the Five Factor Model) is the most widely researched description of personality in work psychology. Instead of sorting people into types, it places each person somewhere along five independent scales. Two people can score high on the same trait and still be very different, because the other four scales differ.

We use public-domain, IPIP-style statements rather than proprietary type indicators. That keeps the questionnaire free to use, transparent about what it measures, and easy to explain to a candidate who asks.

The five traits

Openness — curiosity, appetite for new ideas and unfamiliar ways of working. High scorers enjoy ambiguity and experimentation; low scorers prefer proven methods and concrete detail.

Conscientiousness — planning, follow-through and attention to detail. High scorers are organised and deadline-driven; low scorers are more flexible and improvisational, and may need structure around them.

Extraversion — energy drawn from interaction. High scorers seek out people, talk to think, and are comfortable being visible; low scorers work well independently and often think before speaking.

Agreeableness — cooperation and consideration for others. High scorers build harmony and give ground easily; low scorers are more challenging and direct, which helps in negotiation and less in fragile teams.

Emotional volatility (the reverse of emotional stability, sometimes labelled neuroticism) — how strongly setbacks and pressure register. High scorers feel stress keenly and may need reassurance; low scorers stay level but can under-react to genuine problems.

How it is scored

Each statement is answered on a five-point agreement scale, from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Roughly half of the statements are reverse-keyed — worded so that agreeing indicates *less* of the trait. Those items are flipped before scoring, which keeps people from simply agreeing with everything.

Answers are averaged per trait and converted to a 0–100 figure. 0 means the low end of the scale, 100 the high end, and 50 the midpoint. The number is a position on a scale, not a percentage correct and not a percentile against a national sample.

How to interpret a result

Read the shape, not single numbers. Anything roughly between 40 and 60 is typical and rarely worth commenting on. Look at the two or three traits furthest from the middle — those are what make this person distinctive.

Neither end of a scale is better. High conscientiousness is an asset in compliance work and a liability in a role that changes weekly. Low agreeableness is difficult in a support team and valuable in procurement.

Combinations tell you more than single traits. High openness with low conscientiousness suggests someone full of ideas who needs help finishing; high extraversion with low agreeableness suggests a forceful presence in a room.

Use the profile to choose interview questions, not to make a decision. Ask the candidate whether the description fits and for an example — a good conversation about a surprising score is worth more than the score itself.

Common mistakes

Treating scores as a pass mark or a cut-off. These are self-reported answers and can be presented favourably; they should never filter candidates out on their own.

Reading a 0–100 number as a percentile ranking against other candidates.

Assuming traits are fixed forever. They are stable over months, not immutable, and behaviour at work also depends on the team and the job.

Discussing a trait label with the candidate without explaining what it means — the everyday meaning of words like 'agreeable' or 'neurotic' is not the meaning used here.